Stub setting fixture

ABSTRACT

A stub setting fixture having a frame provided with a rotatably mounted extensible alignment arm centrally mounted thereon for rotatable movement in a horizontal plane. The frame has ground engaging skid members extending therefrom and is provided with a plurality of leveling jacks equidistantly positioned thereon. The alignment arm is provided with outwardly extending adjustable stub retaining members at each end thereof so as to retain stub members positioned therein in any predetermined position relative to each other. The alignment arm is provided with parallel spaced-apart cross-bar stabilizing members which have leveling jacks at each end thereof for stabilizing the alignment arm in any desired predetermined use position.

[ 1 July 29, 1975 1 STUB SETTING FIXTURE [76] inventor: Richard E. Maloblocki. 103 Burr Ridge Club Dr.. Burr Ridge, 111. 60521 22 Filed: July 20. 1973 211 Appl. No.: 390.994

[52] US. Cl. 269/17; 269/43; 269/57;

269/321 S [51] Int. Cl B25b 11/02 [58] Field of Search 29/200 P, 200.1; 249/1.

249/10. 83. 85. 91. 93'. 269/17. 43. 45, 57. 321 R. 321 S. 321 W; 52/127. 742

[56] References Clted UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.669.958 2/1954 Swccny 269/45 3.458.184 7/1969 Schlosscr 269/287 3.523.698 8/1970 Bishop..... 254/45 X 3.583.666 6/l97l Horstketter 249/10 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1.296.743 1962 France 269/45 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-Mark S. Bicks Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Miller. Morriss. Pappas & McLeod [57] 1 ABSTRACT A stub setting fixture having a frame provided with u rotatably mounted extensible alignment arm centrally mounted thereon for rotatable movement in a horizontal plane. The frame has ground engaging skid members extending therefrom and is provided with a plurality of leveling jacks equidistantly positioned thereon. The alignment arm is provided with outwardly extending adjustable stub retaining members at each end thereof so as to retain stub members positioned therein in any predetermined position relative to each other. The alignment arm is provided with parallel spaced-apartcross-bar stabilizing members which have leveling jacks at each end thereof for stnbilizing the alignment arm in any desired predetermined use position.

4 Clalms, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJULZSIHYK I 3.891050 SHEET 1 SHEET PATENTEDJULZQ I975 mNHF-I MN 1 STUB SETTING FIXTURE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a stub setting fixture for easily and accurately positioning and retaining stub members while concrete is poured therearound to form sup port elements upon which various types of towers or structures are erected. Heretofore, makeshift methods and structures have been utilized in an attempt to, insure that the stub members are accurately and properly positioned relative to each other.

The stub setting fixture of the instant invention provides a unitary structure which can be moved from one tower erection site to another without the need for time-consuming disassembly and assembly of individual stub locating, positioning and retaining means hitherto used in the art.

Once positioned at the erection site, the stub setting fixture is properly leveled by use of the leveling jacks provided on the frame thereof. The alignment arm is configured to receive and position a first pair of stub members in a fixed predetermined spaced-apart position relative to each other while support elements are formed thereabout. Thereafter the alignment arm is rotated 90 so as to receive and accurately position a second pair of stub members relative to each other and relative to the first pair of stub members. After support elements are formed about each of said second pair of stub members, the stub setting fixture is disengaged therefrom and moved to a new tower erection site.

Thus, a unique stub setting fixture is provided which quickly and accurately positions stub members relatively to each other while support elements are formed therearound.

PRIOR ART The use of jigs, gages and fixtures to erect towers, scaffolds, walls and the like is well known in the prior art. Representative of such prior art patents are US. Pat. Nos. 3,462,843, 3,266,211, 3,235,966, 3,062,336, 2,827,910, 2,663,375, l,918,550,.and 1,299,261. in general, the structures of the prior art consist of specialized and relatively complex devices which are designed to be involved in the entire process of erecting a desired structure such as a wall, tower, scaffolding and the like.

Nowhere in the prior art is there found a stub setting fixture such as the present invention whereby a stub retaining alignment and positioning arm is rotatably mounted upon a portable frame which can be easily moved from one erection site to another.

Further, nowhere in the prior art is there shown a stub setting fixture such as the present invention whereby a portable frame is provided with a plurality of leveling jacks so as to insure on site rotation ofa stub member alignment arm in a horizontal plane.

OBJECTS it is therefore an object of this invention to provide a stub setting fixture whereby stub members can be easily, quickly and accurately positioned and retained in a predetermined fixed relationship relative to each other while concrete is poured around them so as to fixedly position them during incorporation thereof into support elements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a unitary stub setting fixture which can be quickly and easily moved from one erection site to another so as to facilitate the formation of a system of support elements having stub members which are accurately located in predetermined fixed spaced-apart positions relative to each other.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a stub setting fixture whereby stub members are quickly and easily placed and maintained in aligned and level positions relative to each other while they are formed into support elements.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for constructing support elements having stub members which are accurately positioned, aligned and leveled relative to each other so as to eliminate construction problems in towers or other structures erected thereon.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a stub retaining fixture whereby a stub retaining alignment and positioning arm is rotatably mounted upon a portable frame which can be easily moved from one erection site to another.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stub setting fixture having a portable frame which is provided with a plurality of leveling jacks so as to insure on site rotation of a stub member alignment and positioning arm in a horizontal plane.

Other objects and advantages found in the construction of my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification in connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the stub setting fixture in its operative use position at a tower erection site.

P10. 2 is a top view of the stub setting fixture showing the frame assembly, the extensible rotatable alignment arm and the stub member retaining and positioning means at the ends thereof.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the frame assembly taken on line ill-ill of FIG. 2 and showing one of the skid members.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the alignment arm support assembly taken on line lV-lV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the rotatable alignment arm and stub member retaining and alignment means at the ends thereof.

FIG. 6 is a top viewof the stub member retaining and alignment means.

FIG. 7 is a view of the stub member mounted in concrete.

SPEClFlC DESCRIPTION The stub setting fixture 11 is comprised of a frame 12, a rotatable alignment arm 13 and stub member retaining and positioning means 14 and 15, respectively. The stub setting fixture 11 is generally fabricated from precut tubular and/or sheet metal components that have been welded together into the desired configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the frame 12 is provided with skid members 16 and support jacks 17 at each corner thereof. An alignment arm support pedestal 18 is centrally positioned upon the frame 12 and extends upwardly therefrom.

The alignment arm 13 is rotatably mounted upon the support pedestal 18 so as to rotate within a horizontal plane thereon. The alignment arm 13 is provided with a downwardly extending support rod (not shown) which extends into the support pedestal 18 so as to sup-' port the alignment arm 13 rotatably thereon.

The elongate alignment arm 13 is hollow and has a substantially square cross-sectional configuration. Extension arms 19 and 20 are slidably and adjustably mounted in each end of the alignment arm 13 and extend outwardly therefrom.

Alignment arm cross-support assemblies 21 and 22, respectively, are mounted proximate to each end of the alignment arm 13. Supportjack members 23 and 24 are mounted at each end of the cross-support assemblies 21 and 22, respectively. and are selectively downwardly extendable therefrom so as to engage the ground.

Stub member retaining and positioning means 14 and are provided at the outer ends of the extension arms 19 and 20, respectively. Each of the stub member retaining and positioning means 14 and 15 are comprised ofa stub member clamp assembly 25 which engages the stub members 26 and holds them in their vertically oriented and downwardly extending operative use position.

Stub members 26 thus mounted within the stub member retaining and positioning means 14 and 15 are positioned within support element forming molds while concrete 27 is poured therearound.

Skid members 16 are positioned at each corner of the frame 12 and extend downwardly therefrom. The front skid assembly 28 is comprised of two parallel spacedapart skid members 16 which are provided with loop members 29 to which a tow rope or chain can be attached. Thus, the stub setting fixture can be towed from one tower erection site to another.

in operation, the stub setting fixture 11 is towed to a tower erection site and is centrally positioned between the support element locations. The leveling support jacks 17 are actuated downwardly into contact with the ground and the frame 12 is leveled. The alignment arm 13 is rotated to the desired position in line with two of the support element positions as shown in FIG. I.

The leveling support jack members 23 and 24, which are provided on the alignment arm cross-support assemblies 21 and 22, are extended downwardly into grou nd contact so as to maintain the alignment arm 13 in the desired horizontally aligned position.

The extension arms 19 and are extended outwardly until the stub member retaining and positioning means 14 and 15, respectively, are each positioned over the predetermined support element locations on the ground.

The stub members 26 are then clamped into position in each of the stub member clamp assemblies so that they extend downwardly into the support element molds (not shown) which have been provided in the ground. Concrete is then poured into the molds around the'stub members thus positioned. When the concrete has set, the clamp assemblies 25 are disengaged from the stub members 26. The leveling support jack members 23 and 24 are raised from ground contact and the alignment arm 13 is rotated and the foregoing procedure is repeated so as to position new stub members 26 so as to complete the required number of ground support elements at the tower erection site.

When all stub members 26 have been set at one tower erection site, the frame leveling support jacks 17 and cross-support assembly leveling jacks 23 and 24 are raised from ground contact and the stub setting fixture is towed to the next tower erection site.

it is thus seen that a unique stub setting fixture is provided having flexibility in use so that it can be towed from one tower erection site to another. Further, the stub setting fixture can quickly and accurately position and retain stub members in their end use positions while concrete is poured therearound. The stub setting fixture can quickly be placed into its operative use position, used. and subsequently moved to another site without the need for time-consuming assembly and disassembly of ancillary support and alignment structures.

Various other modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the principle thereof. Each of the modifications is to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims unless these claims by their language expressly provide otherwise.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim the following:

1. in a stub setting fixture, the combination comprismg:

a frame, said frame provided with an alignment arm support pedestal extending upwardly therefrom;

a horizontally extending alignment arm rotatably mounted on said support pedestal, said alignment arm adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane upon said support pedestal;

a cross-support assembly provided proximate to each end of said alignment arm. said cross-support assembly provided with a support leveling jack at each end thereof; and

stub member retaining means positioned at each end of said alignment arm, each of said stub member retaining means adapted to alignably position and retain a stub member in its end use position at an erection site.

2. in the stub setting fixture of claim I wherein said alignment arm is provided with an outwardly extendabie extension arm at each end thereof, each of said extension arms provided with stub member retaining means at the outer end thereof.

3. in the stub setting fixture of claim 1 wherein said frame is provided with a plurality of support leveling jacks extending downwardly therefrom.

4. in the stub setting fixture of claim I wherein said frame is provided a plurality of support skids extending downwardly therefrom.

i l i U i 

1. In a stub setting fixture, the combination comprising: a frame, said frame provided with an alignment arm suppoRt pedestal extending upwardly therefrom; a horizontally extending alignment arm rotatably mounted on said support pedestal, said alignment arm adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane upon said support pedestal; a cross-support assembly provided proximate to each end of said alignment arm, said cross-support assembly provided with a support leveling jack at each end thereof; and stub member retaining means positioned at each end of said alignment arm, each of said stub member retaining means adapted to alignably position and retain a stub member in its end use position at an erection site.
 2. In the stub setting fixture of claim 1 wherein said alignment arm is provided with an outwardly extendable extension arm at each end thereof, each of said extension arms provided with stub member retaining means at the outer end thereof.
 3. In the stub setting fixture of claim 1 wherein said frame is provided with a plurality of support leveling jacks extending downwardly therefrom.
 4. In the stub setting fixture of claim 1 wherein said frame is provided a plurality of support skids extending downwardly therefrom. 